Chapter is closed. If there's an ounce of decency left in you, you'll stay out of her life. She has no need for you!"
The harsh words unfolded before Alexander like a vivid film, each syllable morphing into the image of Ava's weary, pallid face.
He saw her soaked in the rain, fainting, feverish, weeping.
He was oblivious to the extent of Ava's suffering. Had he known, he would never have acted so rashly, so cruelly. He wouldn't have dragged her away in a fit of anger that fateful night. He wouldn't have brandished divorce as a weapon to force her to return home with him. Despite witnessing her tears, he had disregarded her feelings, driven by his own jealousy and ego.
As much as he resisted acknowledging William's accusations, Alexander knew deep down that he was the villain of the piece. What had this marriage truly brought Ava? He dared not ponder too deeply. The more he did, the more his heart shattered.
Felix wiped the cold sweat off his forehead again. He thought to himself, "If that's the case, Mr. Mitchell does seem very bad and deserves to be scolded." Alexander's heart kept throbbing, with no sign of stopping. His gaze was heavy with remorse.
Silently, he turned and began to walk towards the door. After a few steps, he paused, then spun around with a smirk. "William, I may be a scoundrel, but you, you're pitiful," he sneered.
His laughter echoed hollowly around the room, a sad caricature of mirth. He could see William's feelings for Ava as clearly as his own reflection. Yet, while he would always be the scoundrel, William might not always remain so cold.
Once Alexander had departed, William took a deep, steadying breath and returned to the private room. He found Victoria in conversation with Elinor.
"William, you're back," Victoria greeted him, her eyes darting behind him in search of Ava. "Where is she?"
With others present, William kept his emotions in check. "She had some matters to attend to and left early," he replied.
"Left? What do we do now?" Victoria was taken aback by Ava's sudden departure.
William ignored her question, instead approaching Elinor who rose to her feet, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "I apologize for dragging you into this," he said. "Victoria will see you home. Let's pretend today never happened."
Elinor nodded, her confusion evident. "Alright."
"William, what exactly happened?" Victoria probed, concern etching lines on her face. "What did you say to Ava? Why did she leave so abruptly?"
"That's none of your business," William retorted. "Take Ms. Fairfax home. I'm leaving."
"But William, won't you eat something before you go? The food's just arrived and I haven't eaten all day," Victoria protested, her stomach rumbling in agreement.
"I'm not hungry. You all enjoy," William replied curtly and left, leaving Victoria and Elinor in a cloud of confusion.
"Did he have a fight with Ava?" Victoria mused aloud.
"Ms. Bennett, does your brother have feelings for Ms. Anderson?" Elinor asked, breaking the silence.
Victoria's eyes widened. "Oh, you figured it out?"
Elinor smiled and said, "Isn't it obvious?"
"Yeah, I noticed it pretty quickly too," Victoria admitted. "But it seems like Ms. Anderson..."
"What does it seem like?" Victoria asked. "Did you notice something?"
Elinor awkwardly chuckled and said, "I was just talking nonsense. We've only just met, so I shouldn't say anything."
Victoria sighed. "It's really tough."
"But your brother is really good-looking," Elinor confessed, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I can't help it, I'm naturally attracted to handsome men."
Victoria teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, you like my brother."
"No, I just think he's handsome. It's normal for girls to like looking at handsome guys," Elinor honestly replied.
"Yeah, my brother is indeed handsome. Not just handsome, but also passionate about love. I think you don't stand a chance," Victoria said, convinced of William's deep affection for Ava.
Elinor felt a pang in her heart. It was a small, sharp pain.
<Chapter>Chapter 375 Mending a Delicate Heart
Alexander found himself standing beneath Ava's apartment building. His bodyguard had previously informed him of her safe arrival home, and he had obtained the address to come here alone. He surveyed the surroundings, a commonplace neighborhood that was now Ava's new sanctuary.
"She chose this over returning to our shared home," he mused, a pang of sadness echoing in his voice. "She doesn't want anything that bears the imprint of our past. Is it our marriage that you despise, Ava, or is it me?"
His thoughts swirled in a vortex of confusion and despair. "If it's the institution of marriage you loathe, why does your unhappiness persist even after our divorce? Or is it me you cannot stand? Have I become so unbearable that you've banished me from your world, refusing any form of contact? So, you do detest me."
With a sigh, Alexander pulled out his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Ava's number, and began to compose a text message. He spent nearly fifteen minutes crafting the perfect words, deleting and modifying until he was left with a concise yet heartfelt message.
He was well aware that Ava had deleted his number, so she would never receive his message. It was this knowledge that gave him the courage to press send, dispatching a message destined to remain unseen.
After sending the message, he lifted his gaze to the towering edifice before him. A solitary window was illuminated. "Ava, if your disdain for me runs so deep, I promise not to intrude upon your life any longer."
Ava was hunched over the toilet, surrendering to the violent waves of morning sickness. Typically, her symptoms were mild, but the mere thought of Alexander or any stress-inducing factor would trigger a surge of nausea and anger.
The intensity of these emotions was so overwhelming that her body would react in kind. Despite not having eaten dinner, she had already purged her breakfast and lunch, leaving her stomach empty and aching.
After the bout of vomiting, Ava felt utterly depleted. She flushed the toilet, rinsed her mouth, and washed her face. Her reflection in the mirror was ghostly pale, water droplets trickling down her damp hair, and tears welling up in her eyes, spilling one by one onto the porcelain sink.
"Stop crying, Ava," she commanded herself, wiping away the tears and attempting to suppress them. But the tears were relentless, streaming down her face as if they had a will of their own.
With a sudden, harsh slap, she chastised herself. "You're stronger than this. Why should you cry over a man who treated you so poorly? You're divorced now, free from his clutches. So why are the tears still falling?"
Her strength waned, and Ava collapsed onto the cold tile floor. "Alexander, I hate you. Who gave you the right to shatter my heart like this? I really... I really hate you!
"If you don't love me, that's fine. We can forget about our shared past. But if you don't love me, please, I beg you, stay away from me. Don't disturb my peace, let's never cross paths again. My heart can't bear the pain."
After sitting on the floor for a few minutes, Ava remembered her pregnancy. She couldn't afford to wallow in her misery; she had another life to consider. With a great effort, she rose from the floor and washed her face with warm water. "I won't cry anymore, baby. I'm sorry for letting my sadness affect you. I'll try my best to stay strong."
Just then, her phone rang.
